Wednesday, 16 May 2012

Delays, challenges for Indo-Russian fighter

By Ajai Shukla

Business Standard, 15th May 12

Seven years before its scheduled
completion, the defence ministry (MoD) has already announced a two-year delay
in the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) that India and Russia will
jointly develop.

Defence Minister AK Antony has been saying
that the FGFA would join the Indian Air Force by 2017. On Monday, his deputy,
MM Pallam Raju told parliament that “The fifth generation aircraft is scheduled
to be certified by 2019 following which the series production will start.”

The FGFA is the flagship of the
Indo-Russian partnership. Both countries say it will be the world’s most
advanced fighter. But interviews with Indian designers who have overseen the
project suggest significant disquiet. There is apprehension that the FGFA will
significantly exceed its current $6 billion budget, because this figure
reflects the expenditure on just the basic aircraft. Crucial avionics systems
would all cost extra.

On the positive side, Indian designers say
the FGFA project will provide invaluable experience in testing and certifying a
heavy fighter aircraft that is bigger and more complex than the Tejas Light
Combat Aircraft (LCA), India’s foundational aerospace achievement.

The Russian and Indian Air Forces each plan
to build about 250 FGFAs, at an estimated cost of US $100 million per fighter.
That adds up to US $25 billion each, in addition to the development cost.

But Sukhoi insists that the PAK-FA already
meets Russia’s requirements, says NC Agarwal, the HAL design chief, who
spearheaded the FGFA negotiations until his recent retirement. HAL worries that
Russia might ask India to pay extra for further development, particularly the
avionics that transform a mere flying machine into a lethal weapons platform.
That would leave the $6 billion budget in tatters.

The IAF clearly wants a top-of-the-line
FGFA. According to Ashok Nayak, who spoke to Business Standard as HAL’s chairman before retiring last Oct, the IAF has specified
40-45 improvements that must be made to the PAK-FA. These have been formalized
into an agreed list between Russia and India, which is called the Tactical
Technical Assignment.

A key IAF requirement is a “360-degree”
AESA (airborne electronically scanned active) radar, rather than the AESA radar
that Russia has developed. Either way, India would pay Russia extra: either in
licence fees for the Russian radar; or hundreds of millions, perhaps billions,
for developing a world-beating, 360-degree AESA radar.

Nor is the IAF clear on whether the FGFA
should be a single-seat fighter like the PAK-FA, or a twin-seat aircraft like
the Sukhoi-30MKI. A section of the IAF backs a single-seat fighter, while
another prefers two pilots for flying and fighting a complex, networked
fighter. During the ongoing Preliminary Design Phase (PDP), for which India has
paid $295 million, a two sides will determine whether developing the PAK-FA
into a twin-seat aircraft (inevitably more bulky) would reduce the FGFA’s
stealth and performance unacceptably.

“The single-seat FGFA is essential for the
IAF, and we will transform the Russian single-seat fighter into our single-seat
version with a large component of Indian avionics. The twin-seat version will
depend on the PDP conclusions,” says Nayak.

The PDP also requires Sukhoi to hand over
design documentation to HAL, providing it a detailed insight into the design
processes of the PAK-FA. Since
India took years to decide to join the FGFA project, HAL missed out the design
phase entirely.

The 18-month PDP, which terminates this
year, will be followed by the “R&D Phase,” which could take another 7
years, says the HAL chairman. The FGFA will be designed in both countries; some
100 HAL engineers already operate from a facility in Bangalore. Another
contingent will move to Russia to work in the Sukhoi Design Bureau.

“Our boys will learn the Russian language;
their way of working; their design rules; their design norms. We are left hand
drive, while they are right hand drive. The Russians say they will part with
all these things,” says Nayak.

But the most valuable learning, say HAL
executives, will happen during the FGFA’s flight-testing. “Unlike the basic design
phase, which we missed out on, we will actually gain experience during flight
testing. This phase throws up dozens of problems and we will participate in
resolving these, including through design changes.”

HAL engineers recount the complexity of
flight-testing the Tejas LCA. “Fuel flow to the engine was a challenging issue.
As the LCA flew, its centre of gravity shifted because fuel was consumed
unevenly between its 7-8 fuel tanks. So we learned to balance the fuel between
tanks, completely changing the design of this system during flight-testing.
Similarly, we had to strengthen the wings when we mounted the R-73 missile. All
this you learn only by experience,” says Agarwal.

Despite the LCA experience, HAL engineers
believe that the 30-tonne FGFA is a far more complex challenge. They estimate
that flight testing such an aircraft without Russian help might take 15 years,
as long as the LCA.

HAL designers also relish the FGFA’s
specific challenges. For achieving stealth, its missiles, rockets and reconnaissance
payloads are concealed in an internal bay under the wings. Before using these,
a door slides open, exposing the weapon for use.

The Russians clearly believe that HAL
possesses useful capabilities, including the ability to design the AESA radar.
Also attractive is India’s experience in composites.

“The LCA program has generated a high level
of expertise in composite materials within the National Aerospace Laboratory
and some joint teams. The FGFA requires “higher modulus” composites, which can
withstand the 120-130 degree Centigrade temperatures that arise whilst flying
at Mach 1.7 speeds,” says Agarwal.

Despite the continuing imponderables, HAL
believes that the FGFA project provides genuine technological skills, far more
useful than licensed manufacture. “We will pay some $6-7 billion to France for
the licence to build the Rafale in HAL. In the FGFA project, a similar sum will
bring in genuine design knowledge that will help us in the future.”

On the ground reality, the design efforts of Sitara and Kaveri speak volumes about their existing design capabilities.

India have already missed the golden opportunity by not cooperating with Sukhoi during the initial conception and design stages of PakFa. Now they should not miss the last train and cooperate fully with Russia further on. Obviously this further chance and experience will be highly useful on FGFA, AMCA and may be even for Tejas-Mk3 and UAVs.

Delays are understandable in a development of a new especially a 5th gen stealth fighter aircraft. More so from the reason that Russia and India differ on some very core design structures, viz., Russia wants a single pilot cockpit, India seeks a dual pilot cockpit. Also Russia took India's help for funding the project, but India has seeked to have its own way in that show. Hence the requirement list differs and so Russian plane will be out first, since the two planes arte different India's version will be late unless we accept Russian version. But it is a good Healthy process, if at the end we both get our planes and satisfy the respective air forces.

Also a request to cover some of the below topics, cause you shall be able to throw more details:1. India in talks to bring home a MIG manufacturing plant from Russia. Is it because that is the only fighter which can help augment the IAF from a crisis situation of having only 30 plus squadrons in active duty and help in filling up those deteriorating squadron numbers.2. Why so much delay on Rafale contract signing or final negotiations, is MoD (Antony) re-thinking.

Excellent article, great prospects and is good for our airforce(except the delay). We have customized our SU-30 and our boys love flying it. The lesson we gained there is to get the best technology from around the world and intergrate into a world class platform. i am sure we will do the same here...Godspeed :-)

It is extremely unfortunate that IAF sought to purchase the 5th gen fighter from Russia, despite that the AMCA is already under development.

HAL is the primary criminal in India's purchase of PAK-FA.

HAL wishes to xerox-copy foreign jets under the garb of "Technology sharing" and "knowledge enhancement".

Now, instead of supporting DRDO's indigenous AMCA project, HAL actually lobbied the government to purchase PAK-FA assembly line in India.

Now license production is a Bad Word. So, HAL's bosses spun a nice yarn about "joint development" with Russia and jow they'll get to "learn many technologies".

The truth is that PAK-FA is yet another license-produced fighter. Is is a fully Russian jet. HAL will merely copy the design in India and just tweak it somewhat.

A true example of joint development is the F-35 JSF, where USA was the primary integrator, UK developed the thrust-vectoring system and landing gear tech, and even Russia's Yak company pitched in with the VTOL technology.

What is HAL doing in PAK-FA ? Anything remotely similar to BaE's, Yak's or Israeli contribs in JSF ?

The answer is NOTHING. HAL will just copy-paste the PAK-FA and call it the FGFA.

In fact, the IAF's tweaking is part of the conspiracy to make it appear as though India is genuinely making great modifications on Russian design.

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India's real engineering prowess will be proven when the indigenous AMCA flies. Wish DRDO all the best.

Till then, xerox-copier HAL and import-hog IAF can think of more exuses to prove India's so-called "joint development" in the FGFA.

importing and paying for the brain work and process, is easier and expensive always.. and we have not seen vengence for such payment.. otoh, when we ask for decent salary hikes for real designers at home.. it creates such a huge hue and goes into comparisons.

Very true.

Another comment by Singha :

AMCA is it. some things from PAKFA might prove enablers for it and save some time. but mainly the radar and engine the core legs of the platform we have to come up with ourself.

What a shame and joke our politicians importance for defence of the country is becoming by the each passing day...When Antony Firingi has to contradict his own statements in terms of induction date of FGFA, he feels no shame that he 'lied' to the nation....As a defence minister of this country and as a high standing member of the Kangaroo party of India(which in turn believes it is the only 'rakhwala'of this country but to the contrary has become just a 'rakhel'), he should have put in place some procedures and practices to ensure that the timeline of 2017 is strictly adhered to. But what did he do: when HAL 'jokers' came 5 years before 2017 and said to Antony that they can't roll out the fighter before 2019 because they will have to spend some time going to the school to learn the Russian language, Antony said 'Tatasthu but plz ensure you take me also when you go'....Shame shame...If it can be easily predicted that there will be a delay of 2 years even now in 2012, I sincerely pray to God that atleast I should see FGFA in active duty in IAF before I turn 60(year 2038)...

AMCA is a highly advanced project taken up by a country like India. HAL TEJAS project started in 1980's and still it has not been fully deployed in Indian Armed forces. What do you think, should India wait for the AMCA or Dassault Rafale deal or should India have gone for the F-35 Lightning 2 by American aviation giant Lockheed Martin ? please reply @ www.techinvicto.com